Annan



Patented Oct. 13, 1896.

' WITNESSES.

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ANNAN, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY SPRING-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,396, dated October13, 1896.

Application filed October 12, 1895. Serial No. 565,485. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ANNAN, a citizen of the United States,andaresident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic SafetySpring- Clutches, of which the following isa specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in whichsimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to automatic safety spring clutches for drawingand roving frames, such as are used in jute, flax, and hemp mills, ormills for preparing such substances or similar long-fibered substancesfor spinning and for what is known as gillspinning.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which Figure 1represents a front view of a machine provided with my improved automaticsafety-clutchg Fig. 2, a similar View of the clutch and the shaft onwhich it is mounted, part of the clutch being broken away to better showthe interior construction; Fig. 3, a similar View showing the clutch insection and mounted on the operating-shaft of the machine, and Fig. 4:is an end view of a detail of the construction.

In the class of machines referred to the drawing and roving frames arein divisional part commonly known as heads, and these heads containgillbars, to which-pins are attached, said bars being driven by spiralscrews, and these screws are driven by gearing from a main shaft, bywhich the machine is operated. A pitch-pin passes through this collarand gear, the main object of which is to drive the head of the gill-barsand to break in time, should a choke occur, in order to save theheckle-pins from being broken. \Vhen the gill-bars are in motion, thesliver or material of the jute, flax, or other material in the naturalor rough state is passed over the heckle-pins and thence through theconductor and drawing rollers. Should the sliver contain waste or becomejammed be tween the heckle-pins and conductor, the choke hardens and thestrain being too great for the heckle-pins they give way and are badlybroken, and if the pitch-pin fails to break in time the result is greatdamage to the heckle-pins.

A certain strength of pitch-pin is required to drive the gill-bars, butif said pin is too strong it does much damage by not breaking, and iftoo weak by breaking too frequently, thus causing delay and loss of timein replacing said pins. Sometimes the pitchpin will bend between thecollar and the gear instead of breaking clean off, and when thishappens, as it very frequently does, the twisted pitch-pin drives thehead of the gillbars in an irregular way, making them jerk and bend,thus forming thin and uneven parts in the product. These thin and unevenparts may not be noticed until the rove is on the spinning-frame, andthis results in uneven and irregular yarn.

The object of this invention is to avoid the foregoing objections tomachines of the class referred to as now constructed, and this object Iaccomplish by means of my improved spring-clutch, which is designed tobe substituted for, or to take the place of, the pitchpins hereinbeforereferred to.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the gill-bars, on which aremounted the heckle-pins B, which are preferably arranged in sections,each section being connected with or formed 011 a separate head which isin turn connected with a bar. These gill-bars are provided at theiropposite ends with projections or heads 0, which are adapted to operatein connection with transverse shafts D, which are screw-threaded, andsaid shafts D are operated by means of ashaft E, each end of which isprovided with a beveled gearwheel by means of which the shafts D areoperated.

The shaft E is operated by a power-shaft F, at one end of which ismounted a gearwheel G, and the gear-wheel G is adapted to operate inconnection with a gear-wheel H, which is loosely mounted on the shaft E.

My improved spring safety-clutch is mounted upon the shaft E and adaptedto operate in connection with the gear-wheel 11, said gear'wheel beingprovided with a hub 71, in which are formed notches or recesses71/,which are adapted to be engaged by corresponding" projections formedon the head K, which constitutes a part of the clutch.

The clutch comprises a tubular head L, one end of which is open anddirected toward the gear-Wheel H, and the other end of which is providedwith a bore through which passes the shaft E, and said head L is held inplace by means of a set-screw M, and the sliding sleeve K, whichconstitutes a part of said clutch, is adapted to enter the tubular headL, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and mounted on the shaft E within saidsleeve and head is an expansive spring k, which operates to proj ectsaid sleeve and the clutch-head K in the direction of the gear-wheel H.Attached by one end to the sleeve K is a spring-bar O, which is providedwith a depending pin or finger P and extends partly over head L, inwhose periphery are one or more sockets R, and when it is desired tothrow and hold the clutch out of gear with the driving mechanism theoperator moves the sliding sleeve K forward out of gear with thegear-wheel H and presses down on the bar 0 to force the pin P into asocket P of the fixed head I.

The shaft E is provided with a spline or rib N, which is adapted to fitin a correspond ing slot or groove formed in the head of the sleeve, bymeans of which, as will be understood, the said sleeve is prevented fromrevolving independently of the shaft while be ing capable of a slightmotion thereon, and the head is of the sleeve K is provided withprojections or shoulders 15 which are adapted to engage with notches orrecesses h in the hub of the wheel H.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The sides ofthe notches or recesses h are each inclined, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2.The sides of the projections or shoulders 10 are similarly inclined, asshown in said figures, and if in the operation of the machine achokeshould occur or the heckle-pins become clogged, as hereinbeforedescribed, the increased pressure or power necessary to revolve theshaft E will operate to force outwardly the sliding sleeve K against theoperation of the spring is, and said gear-wheel H will revolve withoutrevolving the shaft E, and this operation will continue until the chokeis removed, and it will thus be seen that I accomplish the object of myinvention by means of a device which is simple in construction andoperation and one which is well adapted to produce the result for whichit is intended.

In the foregoing operation it will be seen that by means of myimprovement I avoid the breaking of the heckle-pins and when the chokeor other obstruction is removed and the machine set in motion the clutchsprings back into operative position,- and the necessity of removing thegill-bars and replacing new pitch-pins is avoided, and among otheradvantages which result from my improvement are steadiness of motion inthe operation of the machine and increased production and also thebetter and more even product.

My invention is not limited to the exact form, construction, andarrangement of parts shown and described, and I therefore reserve theright to make all such alterations and modifications thereof as fairlycome within the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patcut- 1. The combination with a power-shaft, of

a gear-wheel mounted thereon, an operating-- shaft provided with agear-wheel,whichis revolubly mounted thereon, and adapted to operate inconnection with the gear wheel on the power shaft, a clutch secured tosaid operating-shaft which comprises a tubular head mountedon saidshaft, a sliding sleeve mounted therein, and provided with a clutch-headwhich is adapted to operate in connection with the re'volublegear-wheel, aspring within said tubular head, and adapted toproject said sleeve, said sleeve being also provided with projections orshoulders which are adapted to operate in connection with notches orrecesses formed in the gear-wheel, and said sliding sleeve beingprovided with a springarm on which is formed a pin or projection whichis adapted to operate in connection with openings or holes formed in thetubular head, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a shaft, provided with a gear-wheel revolublymounted thereon, and having notches or recesses in the hub thereof, of aclutch,comprising a tubular head which is secured to said shaft, and oneend of which is open and directedtoward said gearwheel, aspring-operated sleeve mounted in said tubularhead, and adapted to beprojected in the direction of said gear-wheel,- said sleeve beingprovided with a head on which are formed projections adapted to operatein connection with notches or recesses formed on the hub of the wheeland said head of the sleeve being also provided with a spring-arm havinga pin or projection on the lower side thereof adapted to operate inconnection with holes or openings in thet-ubular head of the clutch,substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with a shaft provided with a gear-wheel which isrevolubly mounted thereon, of a clutch comprising a tubular head whichis secured to said shaft and one end of which is open, and directedthrough said gear-wheel, a spring-operated sleeve mounted in saidtubular head and adapted to be projected in the direction of saidgearwheel, said sleeve being provided with a head, and said head and thehub being provided, one with projections formed thereon, and the otherwith corresponding notches or recesses, said projections being adaptedto engage with ence of the subscribing witnesses, this 8th day ofOctober, 1895.

itnesses O. GERsT, N. J. SUNEsoN.

JOHN ANNAN.

